Telegram-herald., 1887-07-04
JAKE SHARP IN PRISON
He OCCUPIES "sossa rweeO's cslL
ais Apartments fssboEstels faFatshsd
sna s,ze0Fatsd- fki< a Carpets. Lace ur-
- -. Landscape Paintings sad
<.eterss-His Wife His Con
sfsat Com psnloa.


SEw Yesx. July s.-Tbe San describes
visit 10 Jacob sharp. ia Ludlow street
jsii IS follows
III Is a hot ride over the elevated road
10 Grand-st. and still hotter walk from
Grand 70 I.udlow-st. A few steps up Lud-
l9s-st bring yoa 20 ths entrance Of the
bsiek Jail. nve stories high and not over $50
feet square, which has been made historic
by the tact that Tweed rested there until
the eventlal day when he eipded his
keepers aud male bis escape. When the
reporter seut IN his card Ar. Sharp refused
10 see him IN pursuance OF the direction OF
his counsel that he should converse with
10 reporters. lie stated, however. that he
was willing 10 allow the reporter 10 view
his quarters.
There Is nothing about Mr. Sharp's aparts
meuis IN Ludlow Street jail 10 indicate
that II IS cell. You ring loud bell and
are admitted 10 the wardens ofsics al the
left OF the entrance. An iron railing. topped
with pronged barbs separates the warden )
Office nom the c0rrider OF the Jail You
enter this eOFTideF, turn 10 the ieit, thread
a passage. aud after tTsyerrlng ten steps OF
the narrow hall you turn 10 the left again,
and enter. not the cell. bat the parior oc
cupiet by Jacob Sharp. There is nothing
about il at hrsE glance TO indicate that II Is
place OF confinement.
The floor is covered with rich carpe,ing.
and the walls are adorned with pictures.
Opnelia, the heroine of the matchless play
of Hamlet" is the subject of one picture.
Qniet country landscapes and a portrait OF
Sheriff Grant, one of the two Aldermen
whom Sharp or his partners were unable 70
bribe, hang from the walls, and the diploma
of Warden keating's son, who recently
graduated, is another adornment OF the
room. In one corner IS the very comfort
able bed, with mirror az its head. on which
Sharp has tossed and tnmbled all the nights
of his long torture.
The only window of the apartment looks
out on Ludlow-st. 1t is guarded with iron
bars twisted Into diamonds. stronger even
than the ordinary perpendicular bars. Even
this evidence OF loss OF liberty is concealed
by heavy lace curtains. Several handsome
ly bound books rest on the sill OF this IRON
barred window. and Sharp's gold bowed
spectacles lie on one of the books.
The air finds its way through he open
windows and lazily waits the curtains aside.
but the bars respond to.no sucn gentle in
fiuence. All around the room are easy
ch iirs. upholstered with green plush. Ia
the centre of the apartment is a marble
topped table, covered with bottles OF medi-
cine. They are mainly cholera mixtures
| and materials for medceung the baths that
| Sharp s. highly esteen3 "a a relief for his
sunerines. A few newspapers lie on a sofa
at the north side of the room.
| The entrance at the eest side looks out on
| a court resplendert with flowers which, re-
minds you of the we'll ritten story of
| Picciola, who relieved the ennui of prison
| confinement by watching the growth of q
| plant in the court of his prison and who
was redeemed from his felly by his study Of
natures work.
Mrs. Sharp vas with the prisoner when
| the reporter called. His son-in-lsw, Selmes
| had been there earlier in the day and his
lawyer. Mr.. Stickney, who looked even
more detected than Sharp himself.
| Thers is no materia! change in the con-
| dition of jacob Sharp. His wife is his con-
1 slant companion. The convict spends
hours in an invalid chair and strives TO
comfort his wife. while she. apparently
| oblivious to his surroundings, fans him and
| in other WAYS strives TO divert his mind
| from his approaching sentence.
Sharpfose at 8 O'Clock this morning and
| carefully dressed himself. Soon after his
breakfast was brought in. 1t consisted of
| the usual pitcher of milk. the plate Of pan
| cakes, and, in addition, a boiled egg. He
| ate sparinglv. Ii was 10 o'clock when his
unmarried daughter came 10 his room and
affectionately greeted him. She made him
a long visit. Mr.. Stickney, Sharp's coun-
| sci. spent nearly an hour with him, but
was reticent when he left at IL O'Clock.
| He said there was nothing new in the case.
Warden keatIng was considerably dis
pleased at the publication of an alleged in
terview with him, and denied that he had
told the reporter that he received $3.50 per
week for the superior accommodation. fur
nished Sharp. IL was his own business.
| Sharp had room in his apartments, and.
| in fact, only few feet intervened between
| their beds. lie would produce Sharp when
| the prisoner was wanted, and no privileges
were gwen the aged Jail bird which were
not sanctioned by the court